Bottle-cleaning apparatus.



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'BOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22. lalz.

1 ,292,278. Patented J an. 21, 1919.

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omE CLEANING APPARATUS.

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BOTTLE CLEANING APPARATUS.

APPL1cAT1oN FILED Nov.22. 1912.

1,292,278. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

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gnou/woz TW A121 OTTO EICK, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

' BOTTLE-CLEANING APPARATUS.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application led November 22, 1912. Serial No. 732,969.

To all whom it may concern." Be it known that I, OTTO Elon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, inthe State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Bottle-Cleaning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to improvements in bottle-cleaning apparatus, the con- VSli struction and advantages of which will'be hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the annexed drawings, wherein: l

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the mechanism; V- Fig. 2 a top plan view thereof; and

` Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

f 4The main object of the invention is Ato provide -a simple and com act apparatus wherein the bottles will be c eaned b oth interiorly and exteriorly, and the labels which are removedtherefrom collected from the cleansing liquidjand discharged from the machine.y

I driven from a single motor, thus enabling the machine to be started and stopped in all its. parts at will.

who -inserts and removes the bottles.

I Stated in broad terms, the structure may be said to comprise a tank in which the bottles are immersed in acleansing fluid and subjected to a cleansing spray, an endless way passing through the tank land over thesame for supporting the bottles and causing them to pass through the apparatus, together with mechanism adapted to subject the bottles, after they pass out of the tank, to a brushing and spraying action.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a tank, having at that end `which may be termed the intake and dischargel end, an elevated section 2, and at theo posite end a similar section 3, the latter being surmounted by a hood or housing 4. A pan 5, is formed intermediate the Said -motor may be' l under the direct control of the operator 40:

elevated ends 2 and 3, and a pan 6 is located adjacent to the discharge opening formed at the inner end ofthe hood or housing 4. Secured upon the opposite vertical walls of the tank and housing 4 are a pair of tracks 7, which form a continuous way in which roller chains 8 and 9 lind their bearin s, said chains being connected to each other y cross-bars 10, thereby producing in effect an. endless carrier which extends through the tank and the elevated portions 2 and 3 thereof, through the housing 4 and outwardly therefrom over a brushing and rinsing mechanism, and thence back to the entrance to the. elevated portion 2 of the tank. This carrier is designed to hold racks, as 11, in which the bottles may be placed by the attendant, say, at the point indicatedpby A in Fig; 1, which point may ybe termed the filling and discharge station.

The racks 11 are preferably made of metal and are of such size as to t between the cross-bars 10 of the carrier, the ends of the racks Ending their bearings in oppositelydisposed U-shaped guides or ways 12 which.

are co-extensive with the endless way in which the chains move.

The bottles are designed to be placed in the racks with the mouths innermost, and to prevent the bottles from dropping out of the racks as they pass through the tank, suitable bars-13 and 14 are placed in series in the tank, the bars being so spaced as' to be in alinement with the bottoms of the bottles which are passed over the bars in their travel through the tank.

To advance the carrier step by step I provide a carriage- 15, Fig. 1,y mounted upon suitable ways or tracks 16, said carriage having a pivoted fpawl or dog 17, the dogdepending from the carriage to such an extent that it will engage the cross-bars 10. When the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, it.w'ill be seen that the dog 17 is in contact with one of the bars and as the carriage is moved forwardly through the mechanism which will be later set forth, it will advance the carrier a step forward, for a distance equal to the space between two of the cross-bars. As the carrier moves rearwardly from its advanced position, the pawl 4or dog 17 will ride over the next bar to the rear and then'drop so as to engage the same as the carriage is again moved forward.

` Thus it will be seen that the carrier and the racks' in'engagement therewith will be moved forward step by step intermittently, and while .the carrier is at rest the attendant will removethe clean bottles fromthe racks and insert bottles which are to be treated. The tank' is designed to contain any cleansing liquid, such for instance, as a soda solution, and it will preferably be hot.

Overlying the elevated portion 2 is a hood 18, adapted to receive the vapors or fumes arisin from the solution and 'to convey the same from the apparatus through suitable exhaust mechanism.

In the passage of the bottles through the tank the dirt and other material will be loosened and the labels will likewise be loosened, and in order that the labels may be washed off in case they still adhere when the bottles rise above the level of the cleansin fluid in the portion 3 of the tank, I provi e means for spraying the bottles. To this end I employ a centrifugal pump 19, the intake of which -is connected with a pipe 20, which pipe in turn is connected with a branch 21 opening into the interior of a rotating perforated drum 22 mounted in the tank section v3. The upper ortion of the drum will be approximate y on a level with the surface of the water in the tank. A pipe 23 extends from the pump 19 and terminates in spray pipes 24y and 25, the pipe 24 first ejecting Water against the lower or mouth portions vof the bottles and pipe 25 thereafter spray-l ing the bottoms of the bottles which are then, as indicated in Fig. 1, in an inverted position.

The suction of the pump 19 causes a current to be set u in the fluid in the tank and consequently t e labels will be drawn against the drum from which they will be removed by a scraper or doctor 26. The cleansing fiuid is thus kept free of labels and the rotary drum acts as a screen to prevent the entrance of material into the pump which would tend to clog the same, and likewise tend to clog the spray pipes 24, 25.

The tank will, of course, be discharged from time to time, and the solution renewed through suitable pipes. Clean-out doors, as 27, will also be provided.

A hinged deiiector plate 26a overlies the drum and prevents the cleansing fluid from splashing out of the opening which is formed in the wall of the housing above the scraper 26. A second fixed guard 26b overliesthe hinges of the deliector plate 26a so as to prevent the water or other fluid from passing down through the joint between the member 26a and the housing. The labels will be removed ,from the scraper 26 from time to time, and inasmuch as the opening in the hous'in ant will not be subjected'to the splash of any of the cleansing Huid.

Just prior to the passage of the bottles from the housing 4 they are subjected to a -umns, said heads havi is guarded at this point the attendl vspray ofr clean water through a pipe 28, said.

pipe occupying a osition in the u er portion of the housiIiJg and dischargipnlg Waterl directly onto the bottles, the water passingV through the pan 6 heretofore referred to,

and thence into a pipe 29, to a discharge pan 30. Said pan is connected with an outlet pipe 31, which discharges to the sewer at any suitable point.4 The water is supplied' to the spray pipe 28 through a pipe 32, connected'to one side of a pump 33, the opposite side of the pum being connected by a pipe 34 to the an 5, iheretofore referred to. The water is ed to the pan 5 from the bottlerinsin and bushin mechanism, which is locate thereover. tid rinsing and brush-y ing mechanism is shown in IFig. 1, and may be said to comprise heads 35, fixed to uprights 36, which take the form of hollow co1- secured thereto spray pipes 37. Sliding eads 38, are likewise mounted upon the columns 36 and carry the brush spindle box 39. Suitable counter weights are mounted in the columns 36 and cords or cables 40 are connected thereto and pass over pulleys 41 mounted at the head of the columns and around pulleys 42 and 43 (Fig. 1)', and to the heads 38, to which they are securely fastened. The heads 38, with the spindle box 39, are designed to be' moved up and down upon the columns so as to pass .the brushes into the bottles while they are at rest thereover, and to this end Va rod or pitman 44, connected to a crank arm 45,"is connected with the driving mechanism of the machine. Said mechanism receives its power from a motor 46 preferably an electric motor, from which extends a belt 47, that passes around a driving pulley 48, mounted upon a shaft 49. Said shaft carries a pinionf50,

meshing with a gear 51, mounted upon a shaft 52. The opposite end of the shaft carries a pinion 53v which meshes with a relatively large gear 54 mounted upon a shaft 55. Said shaft at its opposite end carries a pinion 56 which in turn meshes with a gearv 57. Said gear is mounted upon a shaft 58, the shaft likewise having secured to it a crank-arm 59, to which is attached a rod or pitman 60, connected to the sliding carriage 15 hereinbefore referred to. Shaft 58 also carries a pinion 61, which in turn meshes with a similar pinion 62 mounted Vupon a shaft 63, said shaft carryingA a sprocketwheel about which passes a sprocket-chain 64. The chain likewise passes about a relatively large sprocket-wheel 65, connected to the shaft of the drum 22.

Motion is imparted to the crank arm 45 hereinbefore referred to, through intermittent gears 66 and 67 or other suitable means. It will thus be seen that the carriage 15 is given a constant to and fro motion and the drum 22 is likewise constantly', somewhat.

come to rest the spindles will be elevated and brought into action.

The machine, as before indicated, is automatic in its action, and it is only 'necessary that the attendant remove the clean bottles from the racks and recharge said racks prior to the descent thereof into the cleaning solution within the tank. y

The label-extractor as shown herein is 'capable of wide applicationI and may be employed with any type of washing machine susceptible of receiving the same. So, too,

while' the liquid which is drawn through the extractor is described as being returned to the tank, it will be understood that it may bev discharged elsewhere; in other words, generically speaking, the invention is not to be limited to the details shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; means for. passing bottles therethrough arotary label-extractor mounted therein; and means for subjecting'v the bottles as theylpass through the apparatus to the action of a cleansing fluid drawn from the tank.

2. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; meansl for passing bottles therethrough; a rotary label-extractor located therein; means for removing the labels from the extractor; and means for subjecting the bottles as they pass through the apparatus to the action ofa cleansing Iiuid drawn from thel tank. v

3. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, lthe com- 4 bination of a tank; means for passing' bottles therethrough; a rotary perforated drum located therein and adapted to gather labels from the Huid within the drum; means for removing the gathered labels from the drum; and means for subjecting the bottles as'they pass through the apparatus to thel action of a cleansing fluid drawn from the tank.

4. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; means for passing bottles therethrough; a perforate body movable through the liquid within the tank; means for causing the liquid to pass through the body, whereby labels and the like removed from the bottles will be collected on said body; and means for ejecting such cleansed liquid upon the bottles as they pass through the apparatus.

5. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; means for passing bottles therethrough; a rotary perforate drum tially elliptical mounted therein and adapted to move through the liquid contained 4within the tank; meansfor `drawing the liquid inwardly into the drum; and means for eject- 'ing the liquid which is drawn through the drum onto the bottles as they pass through the apparatus.

6. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; means for passing bottles therethrough; a rotar perforate drum mounted therein and a apted to move through the liquid .contained within the tank; means for drawing the liquid inwardly into the drum; means for removin the labels and the'like from the surface o the drum; and means for ejecting the liquid drawn through the drum onto the bottles as they pass through the apparatus.

7. In a bottle-cleaning apparatus, the combination of a tank; a perforate drum located therein; means for revolving said drum; a spraying device located in the tank above the level of the cleansing Huid therein; and

means for withdrawing the cleansing fluid from the interior of the drum and forcing it from the s rayingdevice'.

8. In a bott ecleaning-apparatus,the combination of a tank;'.an endless bottle-carrier extending through the tank in a substanath; a rotary erforate drum located wit in the tank an between the upper and lower run of the carrier;,a

`spraying device located adjacent to the carrier; and means for drawing the cleansin fluid throu h the drum from the tank an forcing it t rough the spraying device.

l9. In a bottle-cleaning ap aratus, the combination of a tank having high end vportions and a relatively low central portion; an endless bottle-carrier extending through the tankin a substantially elliptical path; a label-extractor located within the tank in one of the high portions thereof' and between the upper and lower run of the carrier; a spraymgl device located within the Y tank; means for withdrawing the liquid from wit-hinL-the extractor and forcing it to the spraying device; a final liquid cleaning mechanism located adjacent to the discharge point of the tank; a rece tacle adapted to receive the liquid passing rom said cleaning mechanism; and means for removing the liquid from said receptacle and spraying it l on the bottles as they .pass from the tank to the final cleaning mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciiicationin the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO EICK. Witnesses:

MAURITZ W. TALEN, G. H. LAsAR. 

